Trade union could come round to coal exit / A lignite foundation?

Frankfurter Rundschau

“Verdi lets go of pro-coal attitude”

Trade union Verdi is open to more climate action and a coal exit before 2050, board member Andreas Scheidt told the Frankfurter Rundschau. If Germany wants to achieve the climate targets set in the Paris Agreement, the transition to renewable energies would have to be completed by 2050, Scheidt said. Germany will have to discuss stricter CO2 reduction measures, he added. It is still not helpful to focus on a specific end-date for coal, Scheidt said. But, on the other hand, the workers’ union would be open to an earlier coal phase-out if it was accompanied by socially-acceptable solutions for the employees in this sector.

“A foundation for brown coal”

Vattenfall struggles to sell its lignite assets in eastern Germany – now its competitor Steag has made a suggestions for a foundation solution, that could become a blueprint for other mining regions, writes Michael Bauchmüllera and Varinia Bernau in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Utility Steag, from Essen, could set up a foundation with Australian investor Macquarie that would administer the lignite assets in Lusatia, including the future costs for re-greening the mines. They will make this offer to Vattenfall on Wednesday, the authors were told. The money earned with lignite in Lusatia would be used by the foundation to support renewable projects in the same region. This way, the money is supposed to earn the billions of euros that will be needed to phase-out the lignite industry without destroying jobs in the region. Steag and Macquarie are asking Vattenfall to pay them 2 billion euros in order to cover their risks. Mining union IG BCE has also suggested transferring the Vattenfall assets into a holding, part of which would be owned by a foundation.

Germany’s environment minister Barbara Hendricks is optimistic that the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe will rule in favour of the government’s 2011 nuclear phase-out law. The companies had seen a phase-out law before in 2002, so the situation was not new to them, the minister said.

“Senate wants to pass law on energy transition”

The senate of the city state of Berlin wants to pass an energy transition and climate protection law – after eight years of planning, the Berliner Morgenpost reports. In addition to emission reduction targets (minus 85 percent by 2050, compared to 1990), the law prescribes the insulation and renovation of public buildings. Public transport shall be 100 percent electric by 2030, the paper writes. The parliament decision is due on Thursday.

Read a CLEW factsheet on the energy transition in Germany’s states here.

Renewable Energies Agency

“Germany - Experience Renewable Energy”

The Renewable Energies Agency has published its tourist guide book on renewable energies in Germany in English. “Germany - Experience Renewable Energy” presents around 200 destinations that tourists can visit if they are interested in Germany’s energy transition.

Ask CLEW

Our team of journalists and media professionals in Berlin is available to support journalists in their work. CLEW can assist with research, provide background information and help find the right experts and politicians to speak with on a wide variety of topics.